# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1909_S60
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

The Lutheran Pioneer.

From Our Mission at Mansura, La.

Referring to our Evangelical Lutheran mission
chapel situated on a lone country road between Man-
sura and Marksville, La., a Catholic priest once
remarked that it was wrongly adorned with a small
cross on its belfry, meaning that the Church of
Rome alone really has a right to the cross, and that
none but its church edifices ought to have this em-
blem affixed to its steeples, ete. But surely the mis-
guided priest betrayed a woeful ignorance of actual
facts in making such a statement about our modest
little chapel on the Mansura road. For though it

the crucified Savior, is preached and confessed to
the glory of a merciful God and for the salvation
of lost and condemned mankind.

For years this Gospel has been preached and
taught in this chapel with the cross, and true to
the Lord’s promise, “it has not returned void,” but
“bore fruit an hundredfold,” as is evidenced by the
goodly number of faithful believers in Christ that
worship there at regular intervals. Indeed, here in
this little church especially God has continually
blessed the preaching of His Word and established
a true Zion in the very heart of Roman Catholic
superstition and heathen worship.

Colored Lutheran Congregation at Mansura Chapel on Pentecost Sunday.

is a most unpretentious looking structure and can-
not boast of much splendor and finery within or
without its four walls, yet it is adorned with an
ornament of which we are justly proud and which
makes our little chapel one of the most beautiful
places on earth.

The secret of this modest little chapel’s beauty
is this: within its crude walls is preached and con-
fessed the Gospel of Jesus Christ pure and simple,
to-wit, that there is salvation in none other, “for
there is none other name under heaven given among
men whereby we must be saved,” Acts 4, 12. The
rough wooden cross which faces the road from the
top of the church belfry is, as it were, an emblem
of the invisible beauty and riches of the place, pro-
claiming to all that in this building Christ Jesus,

_ It was just recently that our heavenly Shepherd
through the Gospel proclaimed in the little church
with the cross added another band of true, faithful
followers to His fold. On Pentecost Sunday, before
a large congregation, two adults and three children
were baptized, and three adults and five children
were cqnfirmed. It was a most glorious service and
one long to be remembered by our dear Mansura
Christians. After the usual beautiful and inspiring
liturgy, collect, and Gospel lesson, there followed
the baptism of four converts, the examination of
eight catechumens, an address based: on Rev. 3, 11
by the missionary, confirmation, confession, and
partaking of the Lord’s Supper by the catechumens
as well as by many other members, interspersed with
singing by the congregation, the class of catechu-